From: Dean Schneider <schneiderd>
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2007 14:54:59 -0600

There comes a point where you have to take a stand for good books and not worry about the next parent or administrator to complain. It's one thing not to read a book because you didn't especially care for it or because it's clearly out of the age range of your children, but to decline reading aloud a book you love because someone might complain, that's a shame. The Higher Power of Lucky was a great choice for the Newbery, and I can't imagine anyone who had read the whole book complaining about a particular word.

 

The Newbery Award is for ages up to and including age 14. That's a wide range and obviously not every book in that range is suitable for a particular audience. However, The Higher Power of Lucky was cheered as a choice for the younger side of that range, approximately grades 4-6, or younger. If we love the book, as I do, we read it with a sense of humor and a determination not to be deterred by unwarranted criticism.

 

Dean Schneider

Ensworth School

Nashville, Tennessee

 

 

 
Received on Tue 06 Feb 2007 02:54:59 PM CST